The Los Angeles Lakers will look for a new starting center this offseason, and Isaiah Hartenstein may have emerged as the perfect player. A team option for the upcoming offseason will see Oklahoma City Thunder management forced to make a huge decision. Oklahoma City can keep Hartenstein for $28.5 million or let him walk into free agency to end the deal now.
Fadeaway World forecasted Hartenstein’s likely new contract if he joins the Lakers:
“Expected Deal: 3-Years, $70 Million
Hartenstein might finally be the solution to replace the forgettable Deandre Ayton. Few players would benefit more from playing alongside Luka Doncic. Hartenstein excels as a screen-setter and rim runner, while Luka has built a career turning big men into elite lob threats. Their pick-and-roll chemistry would be devastating, since Hartenstein can flush down jams and has a perfect floater around the rim.”
The logic is there that Hartenstein would be the perfect big man to play alongside Luka Doncic. Past success for centers on the Dallas Mavericks saw both Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively doing quite well in a system run by Doncic. The Lakers would improve both their offense and defense by having Hartenstein become the new starting center.
Why Oklahoma City Would Let Hartenstein Walk
Most initial assumptions about the offseason featured the belief of the Thunder trying to keep the team together for one more run. However, the unexpected elimination to the San Antonio Spurs may require making changes to avoid running into more financial concerns.
Hartenstein is an expendable piece for Oklahoma City since they have Chet Holmgren to start at center and reserve big man Jaylin Williams. The postseason showed that Williams can step up in big moments to deserve more playing time. Hartenstein was not used in every game as a clear sign of the team prioritizing other players over him.
Wing players like Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, and Aaron Wiggins all could be argued to deserve more playing time. Holmgren moving to center and Hartenstein’s minutes being removed would allow more flexibility for the Thunder to give more playing time to younger talents before their contracts expire. Letting Hartenstein walk financially helps them short term and may create a better long-term faction.
Lakers Would Sacrifice Players For This
The biggest issue in the scenario of the Lakers adding Hartenstein would see them losing a lot of the open cap space. $33 million per year is a lot of money for a team that also must use cap space to re-sign Austin Reaves and LeBron James.
If the Lakers want to keep their two free agent stars and sign Hartenstein, they may be saying goodbye to any other names on the market. Hope for a wing player who can shoot and defend at a high level will likely end with this contract.
Free agents Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard, and Marcus Smart will have to accept cheap deals to remain in Los Angeles. The Lakers will have to decide if Hartenstein’s presence at center is worth giving up on other opportunities if the Thunder let him go.
Isaiah Hartenstein Emerging As Perfect Lakers Free Agent Target